University of Kwazulu-Natal

8 New Influence Books Reshaping The Industry In 2025 Bookauthority

Bonisiwe Shabane
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8 new influence books reshaping the industry in 2025 bookauthority

New year, new reading list. You already know about our favorite under-the-radar titles from 2024, on top of our favorite books of the year. But what's fresh in 2025? Here are eight titles our editors think you should pick up in the first quarter of the new year. Pico Iyer makes stillness his subject in this stunning look at the lessons he’s learned from his visits to a Benedictine monastery across 30-odd years. Graceful prose and an ability to find meaning in the mundane (and logic in chaos—like the wildfires that are seemingly constantly encroaching on the monastery) makes for a wise, often surprising meditation on how...

—Miriam Grossman, religion and self-help reviews editor The North usually gets let off easy in histories of the civil rights movement, but Adams's richly detailed account of how white opposition to integration culminated in a 1974 Supreme Court decision effectively ending... As today's Supreme Court sledgehammers away at the gains of the civil rights movement, Adams's chronicle provides an essential look at the era when, after a brief period of progressive rulings under Chief Justice... –Marc Greenawalt, science and pop culture reviews editor I'm particularly excited by Maria Zoccola's debut collection, a reimagining of Helen of Troy as a 1990s housewife in Tennessee. By turns hilarious and provocative, it's an affecting character study and modern mythic retelling.

–Maya Popa, poetry reviews editor This stirring reexamination of MLK’s legacy argues that his work has been drastically misremembered and misrepresented by history in order to preserve a simplistic vision of the civil rights movement as concerned only with... Instead, King’s critiques of Northern racism were extensive and long-running, as Theoharis extensively documents. It’s a stunning revisionist account of King’s life and politics. —Dana Snitzky, history and current affairs reviews editor Check out eight of the sharpest, boldest business books shaping how we think, lead, and grow as professionals in 2025.

Entrepreneurship expert Julia Austin shares battle-tested strategies to help founders and startup joiners build their venture from the ground up. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Julia Austin, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon. A groundbreaking look at how Black visionaries—from Wall Street to Lagos, Nigeria and beyond—are reimagining capitalism to benefit the needs of Black people and, ultimately, everyone. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Rachel Laryea, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon. Unlock the principles that drive the remarkable success stories of immigrant entrepreneurs from around the world. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Neri Karra Sillaman, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.

A guide for starting big projects the smart way—based on firsthand experience with more than 300 new products and businesses. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jake Knapp, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon. Reading is more than a pastime. It’s also a good way to make sense of change, challenge assumptions, and evolve with purpose. That spirit is at the heart of McKinsey’s 2025 book recommendations, curated by Raju Narisetti, partner and leader, McKinsey Global Publishing. This year’s list features more than 90 different recommendations from 47 contributors, including CEOs and business leaders, editors and columnists, and university, think tank, and social-sector leaders—as well as some McKinsey colleagues.

NEW THIS YEAR: Keep track of what you’ve read, what you want to read, and how your lists stack up to those of our contributors—and then share on social or revisit anytime. Simply sign into (or sign up for) your free McKinsey account, and click the checkbox next to any title to mark it as read or save for later. Enjoy! Spanning genres from AI and business to memoir and fiction, this year’s book choices reflect a shared hunger for meaning, progress, and human connection. Notably, many leaders gravitated toward books tackling today’s most pressing themes, from democracy and power to the ethical dilemmas of AI. These titles echo the questions leaders are asking and the ideas shaping what could come next.

Dive in, and don’t forget to download the full list. Comments and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement. McKinsey & Company does not benefit from third-party books you may choose to buy based on these recommendations. It takes a village to curate amazing lists from a busy group of leaders from all over the world. We wish to especially thank Preeti Wali, Rebecca Lowell Edwards, Rimjhim Dey, and Robert Christie for their help.

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New year, new reading list. You already know about our favorite under-the-radar titles from 2024, on top of our favorite books of the year. But what's fresh in 2025? Here are eight titles our editors think you should pick up in the first quarter of the new year. Pico Iyer makes stillness his subject in this stunning look at the lessons he’s learned from his visits to a Benedictine monastery across...

—Miriam Grossman, Religion And Self-help Reviews Editor The North Usually

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